


Beautiful Monsters

by prodigalpoet



Series: Soulmates [20]
Category: Killing Eve (TV 2018)
Genre: Bitter Pill, Eventual Dark Eve, Eventual Fluff, Eventual Girlfriends Confessing Their Feelings For Each Other, Eventual Jealous Eve, Eventual Sex, Eventual Smut, F/F, First Date, Flirty Eve, Flirty Villanelle, Girlfriends - Freeform, Indian restaurant, Nervous Eve, Nervous Villanelle, Past Relationship(s), Villanelle Brings Eve Pastries To Work, What Happens After Bridge Scene, beautiful monsters - Freeform, eventual established relationship, exes to friends, helene - Freeform, post season three finale, relationships, sex on fire
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-23
Updated: 2020-07-07
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:54:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,829
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24881884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/prodigalpoet/pseuds/prodigalpoet
Summary: Villanelle is pulled into an assignment by Hélène and unable to turn around on the bridge, leaving Eve alone, angry, and anxious. Villanelle reunites with Nadia and they both plan on taking down Hélène.
Relationships: Eve Polastri/Villanelle | Oksana Astankova, Nadia Kadomtseva/Villanelle | Oksana Astankova
Series: Soulmates [20]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1793398
Comments: 12
Kudos: 103





	1. "Case Of The Ex"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Villanelle is pulled into an assignment by Hélène and unable to turn around on the bridge, leaving Eve alone, angry, and anxious. Villanelle reunites with Nadia and they both plan on taking down Hélène.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title taken from the Mya song of the same name

Friday evening

Villanelle’s cellphone vibrates in the pocket of her mustard yellow jacket, signaling a text message. She hasn’t turned around yet but maybe the text is from Eve asking her to. 

She quickly pulls her phone out and checks. Her heart drops. The message is from Hélène: A car is outside of your hotel. You will get inside of it and you will meet me. Don’t make me come and get you.

Villanelle’s heart starts to beat faster and she feels like it is going to beat right out of her chest. There’s no way she can turn around now. Her ears strain to hear if Eve is following her. The sound of passing cars fills her head instead and the knot of anxiety in her stomach tightens, dispelling any other emotions Eve’s comment about the future made her think of. She slips her phone back into her pocket and starts to pick up her pace. She knows that she cannot turn around now, not even if Eve is waiting for her. She will send her a message from the car. Villanelle spies a taxi idling outside of a pub and runs towards it. She raps on the door with her knuckles and gives the name of the hotel to the driver. Only when the car pulls away from the curb does she dare look back. Her eyes sting when she notices a solitary figure standing in the shadows she just left behind, curly hair lifting with the wind. She decides against texting Eve. Eve will be disappointed in her if she tells her she has to follow through with what is sure to be another assignment. She clenches the empty seats next to her and asks the driver to please hurry up. He gets her to the hotel in fifteen minutes and she tips him generously and rushes from the taxi into a black BMW idling in front of the hotel entrance.

The driver doesn’t say anything but nods his head. Villanelle is sure Helene has given him a description of what she looks like so she doesn’t bother saying anything. She is depleted of all energy and just wants to return to her hotel room and cry. For the first time in her life, she feels desired by someone else. Not only desired but seen and loved. She has never felt this emotional before, not even after she shot Eve. Then it was easier to walk away from her because she rejected her. Now she knows that this time, everything has changed. Eve didn’t walk away from her. She turned around and was waiting for her to turn around too. Villanelle closes her eyes to prevent herself from crying and the next thing she remembers is the driver telling her she has reached her destination. 

Villanelle is escorted into a nondescript building by a female security guard. Hélène is waiting for her in a large room on the top floor. The guard leaves upon Hélène’s instruction and Villanelle takes a seat at the head of a long table. She sighs theatrically, trying her best to give off the impression that she is bored.

“So. You get rid of my employee and expect me not to want to meet you?”

“She was going to kill me. I just killed her first.”

“If that’s the way you want to view it. Rhian was my best bet at taking care of some unfinished business. Now that she is no longer around, I am in search of another up-and-coming assassin to take her place and I know just the right person.”

“I’m leaving the business. I don’t want to do it anymore.”

“Oh, you thought I was talking about you?” Hélène looks at Villanelle coolly, her face not revealing any emotion except indifference. “I’m talking about your girlfriend Nadia.”

My girlfriend? Nadia? Who gave her that information? Her intel is bullshit.

“She’s dead. I killed her.”

“No, she isn’t. She’s just arrived in London, actually, following an anonymous tip that I had sent out, knowing she would come. She thinks the tip is from you. I’m going to need you to show up at the hotel she has staying at so you can reunite with her and then introduce her to me.”

“Why do you want her?”

“Because she trained under one of the best and that woman is in a hospital bed on her last breath, thanks to your antics. Nadia is looking for an organization to join. She is hungry. She wants revenge. Don’t worry, I won’t let her get to you. Nobody wants a retired assassin. I just need you to bring her to me after you resolve the sexual tension that obviously still exists between you two.”

Villanelle scoffs dryly and stands up, placing her sweaty palms on the edge of the table and staring down its length at Hélène. “Are you jealous?” Villanelle raises her eyebrows and smirks.

“Seduce her and then introduce us. Your assignment is very simple. This will be viewed as compensation for killing Rhian.”

“If I complete the assignment, you won’t bother me anymore?”

“I don’t waste my time dealing with people who can’t do anything for me.”

“Fine.”

Hélène slides a burner phone down the table. “The hotel name is on this phone. I will contact you shortly to find out if you have completed the assignment. You may leave now.”

Villanelle grabs the phone and walks out of the room, the muscles in her jaw clenching as she grinds down on her teeth. She turns the burner phone on in the waiting car and arrives back at her hotel forty minutes later. She is exhausted beyond comprehension and drags herself up to her room. After removing all of her clothes she steps into the shower and lets the hot water caress her body. All she can think about is Eve even when Nadia’s name passes through her mind. Her chest hurts like someone is clenching it with their fists. Villanelle starts to cry as she washes her body and hair, grimacing when body wash seeps into the poorly stitched wound still healing on her left arm. She turns the hot water off a few minutes after rinsing her body and throws on a bathrobe. She grabs her phone from her jacket and lies down on the bed, turning the television on for some background noise and downing a bottle of water. Her face lights up when she notices text messages and calls from Eve.

9:32 PM Are you kidding me??? 

9:39 PM Where are you? I’m walking to a kebab place. I can pick up something for you.

9:54 PM V, are you okay?

10:13 PM Now I’m actually worried and I’m pissed off and I don’t know what else to do but keep messaging you and hope that you’re safe.

Three missed calls.

Villanelle decides to send Eve a message back despite her original intentions.

11:58PM I’m safe. I will contact you when I can. x.

Villanelle turns her phone off and puts it away. She checks the burner phone for the hotel address, quickly committing it to memory. She will go there the next morning and find Nadia and hopefully wrap this assignment up so she can find Eve and finish their conversation. 

The next morning

Villanelle enters the hotel lobby in Chelsea wearing a form fitting white top beneath a baggy pinstriped suit. She palms the burner phone in one pocket and her real phone in the other pocket before walking up to the front desk with a grin plastered on her face. Easily slipping into an American accent, she convinces the blushing receptionist to tell her Nadia’s room number after informing her that she is hoping to surprise her girlfriend so she can propose.

When Villanelle walks out of the elevator on the eleventh floor of the hotel, Nadia is exiting her room. The look of surprise on her face is replaced by one of anger. Villanelle strides over to her quickly and pins her against the wall with her elbow. “Don’t make a sound. Get back into the hotel room so we can talk.” Nadia angrily shoves Villanelle off of her and Villanelle smirks, her body thrumming with excitement. When the door closes behind them, Villanelle walks over to the window. Nadia glowers at her from the desk.

“You’re like a cat, you know, having nine lives. It’s very sexy.” 

“You ran me over and left me for dead.”

“If I didn’t do that, you would have been shot and killed. They were watching us, those colleagues of Frank. I had to do something to save you.”

“YOU CALL RUNNING ME OVER SAVING ME? You LEFT!” Nadia is shaking now and Villanelle’s memory is suddenly flooded with an image from Rome. The image of Eve’s body crumpling to the ground after she shot her. The pain of the memory blindsides Villanelle and she does her best to remain focused. She walks over to Nadia and looks down at her face, noticing the tears pooling at the bottom of her eyes.

“I wanted to make sure you got out alive,” Villanelle whispers.

“How can I trust you?”

“I can’t convince you to trust me. But I would not be here if I did not care about you and you would not be here if you didn’t still care about me. I need to tell you something.”

Nadia’s eyes move from Villanelle’s lips down to her chest. Villanelle licks her lips and tries to ignore the feelings of arousal stirring in the pit of her stomach.

“Someone wants you dead. And she wants me to deliver you to her.”

“Who?”

“Her name is Hélène. She’s been watching you for awhile now.”

“Why does she want me dead?”

“So she can send a message to Dasha.”

“How do I know you’re not lying to me?”

“You know when I lie to you and when I do not,” Villanelle replies quietly in Russian.

“What’s in it for you, betraying this woman Hélène?”

“I’m a new person now. I am trying to atone for my sins. I’m getting out of this business.”

Nadia laughs but stops laughing when she recognizes the look on Villanelle’s face. “Are you in love? Is that it? You want to settle down somewhere and retire?”

“This isn’t about me. This is about you saving yourself.”

“Did you ever love me?” Nadia’s voice is low and Villanelle knows then, in that moment, that Nadia would do anything for her. Her heart twitches a little bit and she wonders if Eve has made her completely soft. 

Villanelle gulps before speaking. “I didn’t know what love was then. But I did care about you, yes.”

“And now? Do you know what love is?” Nadia doesn’t wait for an answer. She pushes Villanelle backwards on the bed and straddles her. Remembering that Villanelle liked it when she wore her hair down, she removes the hairband from her hair and starts to kiss Villanelle on the neck.

“I’ve been wanting to do this for so long,” Nadia gasps. “Even though you ran me over with that stupid truck.” Nadia grabs Villanelle’s hair and tugs, eliciting a gasp from Villanelle’s lips. “Do you like it when I am rough like that? Don’t reply. I know you do.” Nadia licks the length of Villanelle’s throat and tries to remove her blazer but Villanelle stops her.

“No,” Villanelle hisses. “We need to come up with a plan. You will be dead if you do not listen to what I am saying. We have to go out so that Hélène can see us together, wherever she is.”

“Konstantin put you up to this, didn’t he?” Nadia’s upper lip curls upwards in a sneer and she pulls herself off of Villanelle, turning her back on her. Villanelle grabs her from behind and rests her chin on her shoulder. 

“No. I am telling you the truth, Nadia. We need to go out if you want to survive this week. Come on. Let’s get breakfast. Are you hungry? I’m starving.”

Nadia groans but follows Villanelle downstairs and outside. They find an open-air restaurant still serving brunch and decide to order french toast and pancakes and copious amounts of coffee. Villanelle tries to remain engaged in the conversation but thoughts of Eve continue to flutter through her mind like a rolodex that someone keeps turning. Villanelle knows how good Nadia is at killing people. She would even say she’s as good of an assassin as she is, when she pays attention and doesn’t let her emotions get involved, that is. She also knows that Hélène has underestimated how good Nadia is since she’s under the impression she can train her to become better. If she tells Nadia that Hélène wants her dead, she knows Nadia will kill her within the first few seconds of their meeting. And then Villanelle will be rid of Hélène forever and won’t even be responsible for her murder. 

“Oksana?,” Nadia asks, reaching for Villanelle’s hand.

“Yes?”

“Are you really going to retire?”

“Sssh. Don’t ask me that question here,” Villanelle replies in Russian.

“But I…”

Villanelle stands up and leans over the table before Nadia can blurt out anything else, surprising her with a kiss on the lips.

“Let’s go for a walk and then go back to your room, okay?,” Villanelle whispers. Nadia nods and downs her coffee.

After Villanelle pays for the meal, she doesn’t pull away when Nadia grabs her hand and the two begin to walk towards an array of shops and restaurants. She looks at Nadia in her periphery and her heart actually hurts from the memories of their past together. Now she realizes how much she hurt her and feels remorse over the recklessness. She squeezes Nadia’s hand and Nadia smiles at her shyly. 

“Nadia. I’m sorry. For not being able to give you what you wanted before.”

“I know. You’ve changed. I can see it. I can feel it. The energy that came off of you before? It was cold. Calculating. Now, you seem lighter, happy, even.”

“I am.”

“I’m glad you’re getting out,” Nadia says softly in Russian. She stops walking and pulls Villanelle closer to her so she can talk into her ear. Anybody watching from a window would have thought the two were kissing by the way they were standing. Unmoving, still, intimately. 

“You deserve to get out as well,” Villanelle replies, her breath catching in her throat as Nadia slips her hands into the pockets of her suit trousers. 

“Maybe I will, after I kill this Hélène bitch. Is she in love with you?” 

Villanelle laughs. “Not everyone who meets me falls in love with me.”

“Then why does she want me dead?”

“I already told you.”

“There must be another reason.”

“No. Even Dasha on her deathbed is a powerful Dasha. You know what she is like. You remember.”

Nadia nods, memories of waterboarding and sleep deprivation resurface in her mind along with Dasha’s cruel and commanding voice directed at both her and Villanelle.

“I remember. Let’s go back to the hotel now. I’m feeling tired all of a sudden.” 

“Okay.”

When Villanelle and Nadia re-enter Nadia’s hotel room after getting some more coffee, Nadia throws herself down on the bed and closes her eyes. Villanelle sighs and watches her from the doorway, slipping her hands into her pockets.

“Nadia, I’m going to show you what Hélène looks like and give you her information. But you cannot make a move for another few days. I’ll come and visit you every day until Tuesday of next week which is when you need to go to her and end her life. Deal?”

“Yes. Will you be with me when it happens?”

“No. She will know something is wrong if I show up with you. You will have to do this alone.”

“Okay.”

“But then you will need to leave. Go back to Russia. I’ll ask Konstantin to arrange the details. You won’t be safe here if her minions know you’re the one behind her death.”

“What about you?’

“I think I’m going to stay here.”

“So you are in love?” Nadia’s bottom lip quivers and she averts her gaze. “Please, you don’t have to continue to act differently then.”

“I’m not acting, Nadia.”

“You don’t love me.”

“I care about you.”

“But you’re not in love with me.”

“No.”

“Who is she?”

“You don’t know her,” Villanelle mutters, reaching for Nadia’s hand as she sits next to her on the bed. “I’m sorry, really.”

“I know,” Nadia grips Villanelle’s hand and squeezes it.

“We have to keep up appearances when we go out but I don’t want to mislead you or give you the wrong impression. You deserve better than that.”

“Now I know I can trust you. You have never been this vulnerable with me before.”

“Exactly.” Villanelle starts to feel her eyes stinging with tears and tries to look away before Nadia sees but she can’t. 

“Hey. Oksana. Look at me. It’s okay.”

“Did I ruin your life?”

“No.”

“Even though I ran you over and left you for dead?”

“Well…that just made me stronger, didn’t it? And it actually inspired me to become better at my job.”

Villanelle laughs, her eyes catching the glimpse of mischief in Nadia’s. “That’s crazy.”

“I know it is. Oksana, you’re the best partner I could have asked for. I wouldn’t have survived under Dasha had you not been there. You may not remember this, but she always turned her attention onto you when you distracted her with your silliness and your games just so she could stop torturing me. And you did that intentionally, to protect me. So no matter what you said or did while we were dating or after, I always remember that. That girl has always been in you, that compassion. You’re the one who attacked Dasha, right? You’re responsible for her hospitalization?”

“Can I confess something?”

“Yes.”

“My…the person I’m in love with…she’s responsible for Dasha’s hospitalization. She stepped on her ribs until they cracked.”

Nadia’s laughter echoes around the room and Villanelle is surprised. She cannot remember the last time she made Nadia laugh as openly as she is laughing now.

“God, I would love to meet this lady. She seems perfect for you.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“You don’t think I will ruin her life?”

“She stepped on Dasha, Oksana. She’s signaling to you that she would die for you or risk dying for you. I don’t think you need to worry about ruining her life. Besides, you’ve changed. You’re different now. If that’s the effect her presence in your life has had on you, why don’t you think about the effect your presence has had on her?”

Villanelle grins, recalling Eve’s comment about the future and the way she invited her onto the dance floor.

“You know I am right.”

“Is it okay if we’re friends after all this?” Villanelle gestures at nothing but waves her arms around nonetheless.

“Yes. Maybe your new lady friend can introduce me to some of her friends if I ever return to London or you decide to visit Mother Russia.”

“I think that sounds nice.”

“Do you want to order some room service and watch a movie, fake lover?”

“Yes, fake lover.”

Villanelle falls backwards onto the bed and yelps when her head hits something hard. When she pulls a gun out from beneath the pillow, Nadia raises her eyebrows and shrugs before slipping her hand down her bra and removing a switchblade. “One can never be too prepared.”

By the time Villanelle gets back to her hotel room, fatigue drips from every muscle of her body. She actually enjoyed watching “Sixteen Candles” with Nadia and felt sad when she left. Maybe this is what it feels like to have friends, she thinks. The only friend she has ever had has been Eve and that’s never been a friendship, only a slow burning and passionate not-relationship-relationship. Villanelle pulls out her phone from her pocket and turns it on. Surprisingly, Eve has not messaged her or called her once. Again, the twisting sensation in her stomach returns and she wonders if it is insecurity or doubt. After all, Eve and her aren’t even a couple so Eve could be out getting a drink with friends for all she knows. Eve could even be on a date. No, that wouldn’t be like her. Maybe she is alone in her friend and co-worker Jaime’s flat looking at her screen and waiting for Villanelle to text. Villanelle knows she cannot mess up the assignment so she turns the phone back off and checks the burner phone instead. She reads its only message: Glad to see you have reunited and reconnected, just like I knew you would. She signs, turning the phone off and undressing. She takes a quick shower and then slips beneath the covers, hoping to dream of Eve and hoping that Eve is dreaming of her, too.


	2. "Drunk In Love"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bear and Jaime show Eve photos of Villanelle and Nadia together after Eve solicits their help in trying to find out what Villanelle is up to. Eve is unaware of the assignment Villanelle and Nadia are working on together since Villanelle has not contacted her. Dark Eve rises and she goes to the pub twice to find someone to take her mind off of Villanelle. She's unsuccessful but the bartender and Elena help her come to a life-altering realization.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title taken from the Beyoncé song of the same name.

Saturday morning 

Eve stomps into work, hair disheveled and clothes wrinkled. Bear raises his eyebrows when she walks by his desk. 

“Still haven’t heard from your girlfriend?” he asks, dipping his hand into his bag of Fangtastics.

“She isn’t my girlfriend,” Eve snaps. “But I’m going to need you to check her phone, find out where she is. I’m worried about her.”

“I thought she isn’t your girlfriend…”

“Can a woman not worry about another woman platonically? Like is this really an issue now?” Eve groans, throwing her head down against her arms resting on the table.

“Um. Sure. Is everything okay?” Bear gruffly pats Eve on the head.

“NO, it isn’t! I’m obsessed with an ex-assassin who clearly doesn’t give a shit about me, my husband is dead, I no longer have my chicken, and I have no idea what I’m even doing here. Are we even still employed???”

Jamie walks out of his office and grabs Eve, pulling her into the room and closing the door.

“What is going on with you?,” he asks, gently but firmly.

“Villanelle. She’s gone. She just disappeared. I need to find out where she is. I think she’s in trouble.”

“Eve, are you even sleeping these days? You look…”

“Like ass, I know. You don’t need to remind me.”

“Why don’t you go home and rest. Bear and I will call you if we find anything. Both of us are worried about you. Don’t push us away. We’re here for you.”

“I know. Thank you.” Eve stands up and Bear hugs her. 

“And please take a shower.”

“Shut up,” Eve replies, whacking him against the shoulder but mentally agreeing with him.

“I’m going home, Bear. Please…”

“I will. Get some sleep.”

“Sure.”

When Eve reaches her flat, she looks around and decides to clean before she showers. Just in case Villanelle shows up. She tosses old food, washes the dishes piled high in the sink, dumps newspapers into a recycling box, throws laundry and bedsheets into the machine, and rearranges furniture and miscellaneous items. She then washes the sink and countertops with a bleach/water solution and puts away items she doesn’t need. She burns a few candles and looks around contentedly. At least now the apartment looks warm and inviting, not dingy and devastating. She strips her clothes off and steps into the shower, turning the handle onto the maximum temperature. She massages a new bar of Lush soap into her skin, inhaling the slightly sweet scent. After using a shampoo bar in her hair, she closes her eyes and shivers at the thought of Villanelle stepping into the shower behind her, arms snaking around her belly and hands moving towards her thighs. “Admit it, Eve. You wish I was here.” Eve jumps, almost believing that Villanelle had snuck inside of her apartment and that her voice wasn’t just playing in her head. Grabbing a towel, she dries herself off and walks into her bedroom, fishing the pink heart out from beneath the pillow. She looks at the time. 10:36AM. She wants to call Villanelle but knows she will contact her once she is able to. Eve’s phone rings and a message from Bear pops up: Come back to the office, now. Twenty minutes later, she is walking back into Bitter Pill, her damp hair pulled up in a tight bun and wearing an old t-shirt and jeans. 

“You’re going to need to sit down for this,” Bear says as Jaime watches Eve from the corner, anxiety clouding his eyes.

Eve sits down in front of Bear’s computer screen and images of Villanelle wearing the same suit she wore on the bus pop up. She is at an outdoor coffee shop in Chelsea eating with an unknown brunette woman. From the way they are sitting, they appear to know each other very well. Another image pops up and this time it is of Villanelle kissing the woman over the table. Eve gasps and stands up, her legs reflexively kicking her chair backwards and into the wall.

“No. This has to be some kind of prank.”

“Eve. I tracked her phone to the hotel in Chelsea and then I hacked the security system of the hotel opposite it. Who would have made these images up?”

“She wouldn’t do this to me, she loves me.”

“She kills people for a living. Does she know what love is?”

“Don’t talk about her like that,” Eve says, her voice unnervingly calm as she levels a look towards Bear. “You don’t know her like I do.”

“And you do? You think she loves you? Someone who loves you would be blatantly going out and dating someone else?”

“Are they dating? Are there other photos?”

Bear shows Eve the photo of Villanelle and Nadia standing close to one another, the not-kissing photo where they look like they are kissing.

“So maybe they’re just fucking. Maybe she just needs to get this out of her system before…”

“Before what, Eve? Before asking you to marry her so you can ride off into the sunset together?” Jaime’s eyes are flashing with anger now. Eve is shocked at the emotion in his voice and her body starts to move away from him as he approaches her.

“Don’t yell at me. I know you two probably think I’m crazy and I probably am but you really don’t know her the way I do, okay? I’m sure she will call me later and explain. I have to go. Can you send those photos to my phone?”

Eve stumbles out of the office, her body on fire with anger and jealous rage. How could Villanelle do this to her? She grabs her phone to text her but decides against it. If Villanelle really is fucking someone else, that’s her decision. If she wants to play, two can play this game. Eve bites down on her bottom lip and restrains herself from hitting the brick wall with her clenched fist. Anger is running through her veins like blood and she wants to do something to release it. She decides to go home and rest before going out for the evening. She’ll call Elena, she thinks, and they’ll go to a pub and get drunk and she’ll find someone to take home and fuck. Just because she can. And just because Villanelle isn’t the only one on this planet who can make her feel sexy. 

Six hours later…

“Eve, are you sure about this?” Elena and her get out of the taxi after Eve pays the driver. They turn around and walk into a pub, ignoring the whistles from a group of men lingering around its entrance.

“Yes.”

“You’re trying to forget about Villanelle so you want to drink your way through the rest of the night and feel like crap tomorrow?”

“Exactly.”

“Eve…”

“Elena, please. Either you want to be my wing woman or you don’t. If you don’t, there’s the door.”

“Don’t be like this.”

“Like what? Uninhibited? Because that isn’t who I am, because I’m a boring person? So boring I stayed in a marriage with a man who looks like fudge on a stick for ten years?” Eve throws down the shot of gin and tonic the bartender sets down in front of her and she quickly motions for another.

“I don’t think you’re boring.”

“I feel like I’ve been asleep for most of my life, Elena. Look at you, you have your entire life ahead of you. You should be happy you’re out at a pub on a Saturday night.”

“I am happy, I’m just worried about you.”

“Why? Because I’m drinking?” Eve throws down another shot.

“No.”

“Because you’re in love with her and you’re afraid to admit it.”

“No. Because she obviously isn’t in love with me.”

“Bullshit. I’ve seen the way she looks at you, like her entire body is on fire.”

“Then why hasn’t she come after me yet?”

“It’s been what, a few hours? If she told you she will contact you, trust her. She’s obviously sorting some things out right now. Those images of her that you showed me from your phone? She could be doing an assignment.”

“For who, Carolyn?”

“Carolyn, Konstantin, who knows? Does it really matter? What matters is that you two idiots clearly love each other so your plan to find someone here and fuck them until you can’t move? I’m telling you right now, it’s a shit one.”

Eve laughs and then she can’t stop laughing, both her mind and body feeling muted by the alcohol. Elena joins in too before they’re interrupted by the bartender. “Drinks, sent to you by the lads on the other end of the counter.” Eve and Elena raise their eyebrows at one another and start laughing all over again, raising their glasses to acknowledge the grinning men standing to their right.

“Come on then, let’s finish these off and go back home. We haven’t done a movie night in awhile, have we?”

Elena pays for Eve’s drinks and they take a taxi to Eve’s flat. They watch “Notting Hill” and eat thai carryout food. Elena doesn’t say anything when she sees Eve checking her phone and helps her into her bed when she starts to doze off. She decides to crash on the sofa just in case Eve feels sick during the middle of the night and sincerely hopes that Villanelle is not cheating on her. “I swear to God, I will find your biggest weakness and I will use it against you,” Elena says, staring up at the ceiling and missing Kenny even more than usual.

Sunday 

Villanelle and Nadia spend the day together after they meet outside Nadia’s hotel around 1PM. They visit the Saatchi Gallery and Villanelle makes a mental note to bring Eve with her. She thinks Eve will like it and it seems like a popular destination for couples. Villanelle’s heart expands over the image of her and Eve walking around the gallery holding hands. She wants to kiss Eve as they make their way around the Tutankhamun exhibit and make her laugh with history jokes only Eve would understand. She’s proud of how intelligent Eve is and how funny, even though she doesn’t make jokes as often as Villanelle makes jokes. Eve would probably want to stop in the museum gift shop to buy magnets for the fridge and probably matching coffee cups. Villanelle spies a onesie for a newborn baby that she briefly thinks would look good on Eve and hers baby and then she shakes her head, knowing she shouldn’t assume anything about the future other than her and Eve being together as a couple.

“Do you want to get some coffee and then we can leave?” Nadia asks, her voice interrupting Villanelle’s thoughts. Villanelle nods. They walk into the cafe on the lower ground floor and order two cups of coffee, two salmon with dill cream sandwiches, and two cookies.

“You’re thinking of your girlfriend, aren’t you?” Nadia asks, nudging Villanelle’s foot beneath the table. Villanelle grins and takes a bite of her sandwich.

“She would like this place.”

“So bring her here.”

“She isn’t my girlfriend yet.”

“You haven’t told her how you feel?”

“I am scared.”

“You, afraid? You’re not afraid of anything.”

“Apparently I am. Of not being loved back.”

“Oksana. I haven’t met this woman but it’s clear to me she loves you. You have to tell her, before it is too late. You and I both know how short life is. We may not even survive this week if there’s a hit on my head and probably one on yours.”

“That’s very morbid, Nadia, but also, good point. What should I do?”

“Propose to her?”

“Nadia, we haven’t even dated each other.”

“But you obviously have interacted enough to know you are in love with her.”

“What if I propose and she says no?”

“Then she says no. And what if she says yes?”

“I think I would collapse from shock.”

“No, you would consider yourself the luckiest person on the planet. You deserve to be happy. I heard what happened with your family from some of my family members before I came here. I was worried about you. I thought you were going to take your own life. But this? This is good news. You are finally happy, Oksana. Don’t you think you deserve that?”

“You heard about what happened? With…?”

“Yes, your mother. Don’t think about her ever again. Everyone hated her. You did the world a favor by eliminating her.”

“Do you know how Pieter and B’orka are doing?”

“They’re safe. They will probably want to come here and live here, you know? You’re the only family they have left. I think they will enjoy seeing this version of you.”

“I would like them to visit.”

“They should visit when you have settled down with your wife.”

Villanelle ducks her head, a shy smile crossing her face. 

“Are you blushing?”

“No.”

“You are.”

“Maybe.”

“I’m happy for you, really. Invite me to your wedding, yes?” 

“I got married in Spain.”

“You what?”

“Yes. I mean, I’m divorced now. I gave my ex-wife a different, completely different identity. I was trying to get over this woman who is going to become my soon-to-be girlfriend or wife, whatever.”

“WOW. You really do have it bad, huh?” Nadia jabs Villanelle in the ribs jokingly. “Even though I’m a little upset that I never got to be with this version of you, I truly am overjoyed that you have found your person.”

“Thank you. That means a lot. I didn’t mean to kill you when I ran you over.”

“I don’t know if I can believe that but I think this version of you wouldn’t think of doing that to me now.”

“No.”

“Want to go shopping?”

“I can never turn down shopping.”

Villanelle follows Nadia out of the shop and they leave the museum, ending up at the Duke of York Square. Villanelle buys a loaf of vegan banana bread and Nadia buys a post box red chunky rib scarf and a semi precious stones necklace from Boden. Outside the store, Nadia asks Villanelle for help in putting it on. Of course, this is the image that Eve receives from Bear when she finishes speaking with her mother early Sunday evening.

“I FUCKING HATE YOU, VILLANELLE!” Eve throws her phone onto her bed and practically falls over in her hasty attempt to find an outfit to wear to the pub. She doesn’t care about Elena’s opinions or Villanelle’s or her mother’s or anyone else’s, for that matter. She’s going to go out and get drunk and get laid and she’ll never think of Villanelle again.

One hour later, Eve is back at the pub she was in the night before.

“Gin and tonic then?” the bartender greets her as she plops herself down at the counter. She nods, trying to scope out the room. She recognizes one of the men who purchased drinks for her and Elena and she wonders if she should wave. God, I’ve forgotten how to flirt. Maybe that’s why Villanelle has just run off. I don’t think I’ve ever flirted with her. In fact, I’ve been nothing but a pain in her ass. I don’t blame her then. She asked me to run off to Alaska with her and I told her she didn’t know what love was. Who the fuck did I think I was, saying that? As if I knew what love was. 

Eve downs the shot placed in front of her and motions for another. “Just keep them coming.”

“Where’s your friend?”

“Why, you interested?,” Eve snarls. The look on the bartender’s face makes her feel guilty right away and she stammers out an apology. “I’m sorry.”

“Hi, Sorry. My name’s Mark, by the way.”

“I’m Eve.”

“Are you okay?”

Eve crumbles at this question, all the pent-up anger and jealously tumbling out of her in the form of tears. “No, I don’t think so.”

“Do you want to talk? It’s not that busy yet.”

“I just…I’m in love with someone and I think she may be in love with someone else.”

“How do you know?”

“I’ve seen some photos of her online.”

“Have you asked her about them?”

“No.”

“So your theory hasn’t been confirmed or denied?”

“No.”

“And you’re in here because you want to find someone else so you can forget about her?”

“Yes.”

“You can’t just text or call her up?”

“She told me she would contact me when she is able to.”

“She work for the government or something?”

“Or something, yes.”

“So maybe she’s on an assignment?”

“Maybe. I’m always assuming the worst from her.”

“Why?”

“I mean, look at her.” Eve finds a photo of Villanelle in her phone. She took it when Villanelle was speaking to Carolyn before the Aaron Peel assignment. Villanelle is leaning against a table, hands in the pockets of her trousers, eyes slightly narrowed. Her hair is in a single braid and she is wearing a white top, striped blazer, and olive green trousers. 

“She’s gorgeous.”

“Exactly! She just exudes sex appeal.”

“Right. Has she told you how she feels about you?”

“Um. Kind of.”

“So what’s the problem then?”

“I’m older than she is. I have a completely different sense of style. She’s probably spent more on her wardrobe than I have in my entire life.”

“Sounds to me you’re insecure about yourself and projecting those feelings onto her.”

“Are you a therapist moonlighting as a bartender?”

Mark laughs. “Are you always this suspicious of people?”

“I’m sorry.”

“And are you always apologizing?”

“Uh, yes.”

“You’re worried about where you stand in this woman’s life but you haven’t disclosed to her that you’re in love with her?”

“Yes. I mean, no. Wait, yes, I am worried about that.”

“I hate to break it to you, Eve, but sitting in here and drinking the night away isn’t going to make your love disappear. You need to be honest with her. You obviously care about her a lot.”

“I do.”

“Wait for her to reach out to you. I trust her.”

“But you don’t even know her.”

“From the image you showed me, it seems like she has a good heart.”

“She really does.” Eve starts to tear up and Mark pulls a mug from below the bar, filling it with hot water and a Yorkshire teabag. He pours a little bit of soy milk into the cup a few minutes later, drains the teabag and disposes of it, and hands it to Eve. 

“A cup of tea can’t solve everything, but it comes pretty close. Try this slice of vanilla sponge cake my wife made. On the house. We don’t like to see broken hearts around here, not if we can help it.” Mark winks and leaves Eve so he can assist other customers. She cries over the tea and shovels some of the cake into her mouth. She checks her phone. No messages from Villanelle. She sighs, flicking through the photos Bear sent to her once again. She knows now, that it isn’t possession that has taken hold of her emotions. It actually is love. She’s in love with Villanelle and should have told her that on the bridge. Maybe Mark was right. She just needed to be honest with herself before she could be honest with anybody else. 

“Hey Mark, I’m going to head out.”

“Good choice. Go home, get some rest, and you know where I am if you need to chat tomorrow.”

“Thanks.” Eve smiles, leaving behind a generous tip and hailing the next taxi back to her place.

When she returns, she plays Stevie Nicks and takes a long bath. She calls Elena after drying off and putting on some shorts and a t-shirt. 

“Still nothing from Villanelle?”

“Not yet. I did get some good advice from Mark though.”

“Who??”

“Oh, I might have gone back to the pub we went to last night.”

“What? Without me??”

“Yes. I didn’t get drunk or take anyone home, don’t worry. I just sat and talked to him for a bit. Bear sent me another image.”

“Of Villanelle? Is he…obsessed with her now as well?”

“Oh shush. He isn’t obsessed. I think this is just his way of keeping me informed? He and Jaime are worried about me.”

“As they should be,” Elena scoffs. “Well? What was Villanelle up to this time?”

“It looked like she was putting a necklace on that same brunette from yesterday’s pictures. It made me mad so I went to the pub and Mark gave me some advice. I think I’m finally ready to admit to myself that I’m in love with her. Not obsessed with her, in love with her, and maybe they’re pretty much the same thing.”

Elena laughs. “It took you all this time to realize that?”

“What? I was just trying to do my job.”

“Eve, you’ve been tracking Villanelle for over two years now? You kissed her on a bus and then you head-butted her, for God’s sake. Who does that??”

“Me?” Eve sheepishly grins.

“An idiot who is in love. And what does she do? She sends you clothes and perfume and flowers and a birthday cake in the shape of a bloody bus. A cake you threw over the roof, may I add. And then you had to go searching for the box in the dumpster. And then you went and tracked her down and missed her by seconds. And then you danced with each other and shared some sexy confessions on the bridge.”

“Okay, okay, I get your point.”

“Just tell her you’re in love with her otherwise you two will be dancing around one another for five more years and none of us will hear the end of it.”

“I will. When she reaches out to me. If she reaches out to me.”

“She will. Be patient. You’ve waited long enough. A few more days won’t hurt.”

“I feel like I’m dying.”

“I don’t blame you. If I had a hot assassin lusting over me the way she has been over you, I’d be kicking myself too for not jumping her bones when I had the chance…”

“ELENA!”

“I’m sorry! I had to say it. I’m going to go before I get you riled up. Go to sleep. We’ll chat tomorrow.”

“Yeah, yeah. Goodnight.” Eve turns off her phone, her skin flushing with the thought of having sex with Villanelle. Eve sighs. Mark was right. And so was Elena. She needed to tell Villanelle the truth. Eve listens to the recording on the plastic heart and smiles, her heart thumping in her chest. The ache she feels is loneliness, she knows, but it’s also love. Eve closes her eyes and falls asleep to the sound of Villanelle’s voice in her ear.


	3. "Earned It"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Villanelle meets Nadia for a last minute pep talk regarding their plan. She then reunites with Eve and hijinks ensue. Bear and Jaime run for their lives, worried that the combination of Villaneve will make Bitter Pill combust. At Eve's apartment, emotions are flying, clothes are flying, plans for the future are raised, along with Eve's eyebrows and her temper. This chapter is basically an homage to the beautiful chaos Villaneve produce together but get ready for the following chapter where Dark Eve rises since her response to Villanelle and Nadia working together has not been fully realized. She just doesn't know it yet, and neither does Villanelle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title is from the song "Earned It," but the Bootstraps cover of The Weeknd's original version. Started to listen to this cover after I watched this breathtaking video on YouTube by user berrysck (if you happen to read this, drop a comment! Love your video!): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4TH67DugBg

Monday

Villanelle knocks on Nadia’s hotel room door at 8 o’ clock am, a coffee in each hand and a new burner phone for Nadia in her pocket.

Nadia opens the door and grabs one of the coffees. Villanelle whistles when she walks into the room, eyeing the various guns and knives displayed on Nadia’s bed.

“Quite the toy collection,” Villanelle grins, picking up a skinny dagger the size of a pen.

“I’m trying to figure out which one to use for the assignment.”

“Use this one.” Villanelle hands her the dagger. “Inconspicuous. Deadly if you poison the tip, yes?” 

Nadia nods.

“You can leave it in your hair like it’s a hairpin. If she doesn’t let you get too close, throw it towards her eye like it’s a dart. You remember that one technique Dasha showed us.”

“Yes.”

“She’ll have one female security guard there, maybe two. Konstantin will be there tomorrow just in case you need help. I’ve already sent him the details. Take this burner so you can message me.”

“Thank you.”

“Konstantin will text me when you have completed the assignment and then he will take you to the airport and make sure you board the plane back to Russia.”

“Okay.”

“Are you nervous?”

“No.”

“Here, let me show you a trick.” Villanelle takes the dagger and wields it between her thumb and index fingers. She turns to face the lamp drilled into the wall above the bedside table and she flicks her wrist quickly and smoothly, sending the dagger into a spot on the wall directly above the lampshade. “Make sure you follow through with your wrist.”

“Got it. I’m going to miss spending time with you like this, as friends.” Nadia pulls the dagger out of the wall and sets it on the bed. She then grabs a small revolver and a harness and practices strapping it to her right thigh. 

“Me too. So that means you have to make it out of there alive, okay?”

“Yes, boss.”

Villanelle laughs. “Now I can see why Dasha enjoyed telling us what to do all the time.” Villanelle finishes the rest of her coffee and stands up from the desk chair. 

“I have to go now. I’m going to meet the girl I’ve been telling you about. Wish me luck.”

“Oksana, you don’t need any luck. She will say yes. Trust me.”

“It was good to see you, Nadia. Take care of yourself.”

“You too. Don’t be a stranger.”

“Good luck.” Villanelle walks towards the door and is surprised when Nadia stops her, hugging her from behind.

“I really hope it works out with you and your soon-to-be girlfriend/wife.”

Villanelle turns around and smiles, hugging Nadia back. “Well, she knows a few people so I’ll start looking around for you. Any interests? Assassins, not assassins?”

“Shut up, asshole. Go before I take back every good thing I said.”

Villanelle waves and shuts the door behind her. She swallows down the feeling of nostalgia biting the back of her throat. Not nostalgia for a better time since Nadia and her never shared a time better than this, but nostalgia for the past few days of feeling normal. Of doing normal things with a friend who knew all about her past and accepted her and even forgave her for it. 

Villanelle pulls out her burner phone and sends a message to Hélène: She will meet you tomorrow. Send a car to her hotel at 8 AM. She then pulls out her regular phone to text Eve: I’m coming to your office to pick you up. We need to talk. x.

10:17AM

Villanelle strolls into Bitter Pill wearing a black bomber jacket, a white top, olive green pants and black boots. She is holding a bag filled with baked goods and a coffee. “Hi guys!” she yells out. Bear sputters and almost chokes on his Fangtastics. Jaime puts his hand up to wave and points to the bathroom silently.

“Villanelle walks over to the bathroom door and knocks. “Eveee???” She laughs when she hears clattering coming from inside and Eve saying the word “Shit” over and over again. Eve walks out a few minutes later looking shocked and disheveled. 

“Didn’t you check your phone? I told you I was coming to pick you up?”

“Where have you been? You just…you just disappeared! Like walked away in the middle of the night and I was left standing on that bridge all alone feeling like an idiot!” Eve pushes Villanelle back towards a desk and Villanelle’s eyes widen. “I’m sorry I haven’t texted or called in a few days but can we talk about this privately?,” Villanelle hisses. 

Jaime clears his throat and Bear coughs.

“Oh, no, we don’t need to do that. They know all about your sexcapade anyway.”

“My what?!”

Bear gets up and mumbles something about lunch, motioning for Jaime to follow him and running out of the office, not even bothering to say bye or to look back. Eve strides towards the office door and locks it. She huffs as she turns around and tries her best to remain angry at Villanelle even though her heart melts at the sight of her holding a bag of pastries from the place Eve loves so much. “Drink your coffee before it gets cold. Cold coffee is shit,” Villanelle says, her eyes running across Eve’s face with a concerned expression.

“Thanks,” Eve mumbles. She sits down feeling exhausted. “Villanelle. I…we…saw those photos of you kissing this woman. This brunette woman, which, of course, your type, right? At some hotel in Chelsea? And now you’re showing up to my work with pastries and coffee like you’re my what, my girlfriend?”

“You were tracking me?” Villanelle’s eyes darken and she drops the bag on the desk she is leaning against. 

“I was worried about you!”

“I texted you and told you I would contact you!!”

“You just walked away from me on the bridge like you were being abducted!”

“I WAS!”

Eve jumps in her seat, startled by Villanelle’s outburst. Although she has seen Villanelle upset before, Villanelle has never raised her voice like that.

“I’m sorry,” Villanelle adds. “I had to complete one more assignment.”

“And part of it involved seducing someone?”

“Yes. I can’t tell you more right now. Can we go back to your place please? Just trust me.”

“Okay.” Eve picks up the pastry bag and her coffee cup and follows Villanelle outside after locking the office door and leaving Bear and Jaime a note. Neither woman talks on the train ride to Eve’s apartment but the tension between them is palpable. Eve looks at Villanelle and can see how tired she is. Even though she looks completely composed and gorgeous, there are bags beneath her eyes and a grave expression on her face. Eve wants to reach out and touch her hand but she also doesn’t want to draw any attention to her in case she is being followed by someone. By the time Eve unlocks her apartment door, she feels like she has been holding her breath. She exhales and waves her arm around in front of her. “Just drop your stuff wherever.” Villanelle removes her coat and hangs it on the hook behind the door. She slips out of her boots and leaves them on the doormat. 

“Can I sit here?” Villanelle asks, motioning towards the sofa. 

“Yeah, of course. I’m going to get some water. Do you want anything?”

“Water is good.”

Seconds later, Eve is sitting next to Villanelle. Villanelle sighs, takes a sip of water and leans back. She tells Eve the entire story of what happened, even including the fact that she used to date Nadia. By the time she is done, Eve is crying, her head resting on her hands and her elbows resting on her knees.

“I am so sorry for getting mad at you. I’ve felt like a crazy person since Friday evening. I even went to the pub and tried to find someone to fuck—“

“What???”

“I thought you were cheating on me so I tried to hook up with someone twice and it failed spectacularly both times.”

Villanelle starts to laugh and her eyes glint mischievously. “You said you thought I was cheating on you.”

“Yes…”

“Cheating would imply we were together, no?”

“I mean, we were unofficially together, in my mind, after that dance and our bridge conversation. But then you walked away and I’ve been doubting your feelings…”

“Really, you thought we were unofficially together in your mind?” Villanelle can barely contain her excitement and Eve can feel the heat emanating from her body as their kneecaps knock together.

“Villanelle. I’ve been in love with you ever since you saw me in that hospital bathroom. I’ve just been afraid to admit it to myself.”

Villanelle’s mouth falls open and her eyes dart from Eve’s eyes and down to her lips. “I’ve been in love with you, too. I’ve always known but I waited for you to know as well, especially after what happened in Rome.”

“Do you want to be my girlfriend?” Eve asks quietly, her eyes shifting from Villanelle’s eyes to her mouth.

“Yes,” Villanelle replies quietly.

Eve sets her glass down and boldly moves towards Villanelle, pushing her backwards onto the couch. “Can I kiss you?,” she asks. Villanelle nods, her ears thrumming with the rush of blood to her head. Eve kisses Villanelle and she kisses her back, their movements both slow and rushed, frantic and frenzied. Villanelle thinks she can die like this, in the arms of this woman who she has been chasing, this woman who has been chasing her back. For the first time, they’re alone together in private and nobody else can interrupt them.

Two hours later, Eve and Villanelle are lying in Eve’s bed naked, covered by a freshly laundered bed sheet.

“I can’t believe I thought you were cheating on me just a few hours ago and now we’re in my bed after having sex for two hours,” Eve claims, kissing up Villanelle’s stomach until her lips find Villanelle’s bruised ones. Villanelle smiles, her left hand tangled in Eve’s hair and her right hand planted in the center of Eve’s lower back. She hums softly before singing “Earned It” into Eve’s ear: “You make it look like it’s magic, ‘cause I see nobody but you, I’m never confused…I’ma care for you, ‘cause girl you’re perfect, you’re always worth it.” 

“I love that song,” Eve whispers, her skin tingling with the sound of Villanelle’s voice singing against her earlobe. “You have a really good voice.”

“And you have a really good body.”

“How is it possible to feel turned on again after all of those orgasms? Not that I’m complaining, but God!”

“Yes?”

“You’re so smug. Do you like singing?”

“Yes. I always listened to a lot of music before my assignments and whenever I traveled. I’ve never sung to anyone before, though. Only to myself, when I’m alone.”

“Well now you can sing to me, if you want?”

“I’d love to. You know, I was afraid you didn’t feel the same way about me even though Nadia said you would.”

“I like her even though I wanted to kill her when I saw those photos.”

“She told me to invite her to our wedding.”

“Our what?”

Villanelle swallows, her skin flushing with embarrassment. “Never mind.”

“Oksana. It’s okay, you can tell me.” 

“She said to invite her to our wedding.”

“Okay.”

“Okay?”

“Yes.”

“You would want to get remarried, even after moustache?”

“Even after him, yes. These past few days without you, I’ve felt like a wreck. I meant what I said on the bridge, Oksana. When I think of my future, I just see your face. If you want to get married, I want to get married. I know now that I want to spend the rest of my life with you, whatever that looks like.”

“What if I don’t know how to be like a normal person in a relationship? I’ve never really dated before.”

“And the only person I’ve ever dated, I ended up marrying and you know what happened to that relationship. We’ll figure it out. Plus, normal is boring.”

“Our monsters don’t like normal.”

“I don’t think they do either.”

“What’s the plan then? Are we going to find a bigger place to move into? Not that this place isn’t cozy in its own way but this bed isn’t big enough for the both of us.”

“I’d like that and of course you would want to get a bigger bed.”

“Just for comfort’s sake, nothing else. And we can start looking at places this week. I like shopping.” A wide grin spreads over Villanelle’s face and her eyes dance around Eve’s room. Eve’s heart bursts with joy at how cute Villanelle seems in this moment, so enthusiastic and gleeful over the prospect of going house-hunting. 

“You’re pretty cute,” Eve mumbles, tracing over Villanelle’s lips with her tongue.

“And you’re pretty horny. Eve! If I had known how much of a sex addict you were, I would have made my move in that hospital bathroom. I wasted a really good nurse’s outfit.”

“Do you still have it?”

“Yes.” 

“Then it isn’t wasted.”

Villanelle moves her head so she can catch Eve’s lips but winces when her skull hits something hard. “Ow!” She reaches beneath the pillow and yanks out the plastic heart. Villanelle wonders what is it about her big head that keeps attracting it to pillows with things hidden beneath them.

Eve stares down at it unabashedly, a small smile on her lips. “Now do you believe me when I tell you I’ve been in love with you?”

“You’re such a romantic. You ripped this out of the little teddy bear just so my voice could be closer to your ear?”

“Yes. But also that bear was a little scary. I felt like it was watching me when I was sleeping.”

“Too bad for you. Now I’m going to be watching you.”

Eve looks down at Villanelle with a quizzical expression.

“Too much?”

“No. Oddly endearing?”

“Nobody’s called me endearing before.”

“I like firsts.”

“How was your first time doing this?” Villanelle gestures above their bodies and Eve laughs.

“Are you always this animated? Or is this just your technique to seduce people in the bedroom?”

“Answer my question first.”

Eve stops talking and it almost seems like Villanelle is shy despite her obvious experience in the intimacy department. “Let’s just say I hope my first time isn’t anywhere close to my last.”

“So it was good?”

“It was amazing, baby, but I’m sure you know that.”

“I don’t. That’s why I asked.”

“Really? You haven’t been praised by your…”

“I haven’t had sex with someone I was in love with before.”

“Oh. Well, this someone was very satisfied with your performance. What about you, considering…?”

“You were everything I thought you would be. Hot. Sexy. Patient. Intuitive. Enticing.”

“We’re never going to leave this bed, are we?”

“Maybe Uber delivers to beds now?”

“Ha, ha. Or we could ask Elena to drop food off outside the door. She’ll understand.”

“Have you told her anything?”

“Oh, she came with me to the pub one night and saw me having a breakdown over my feelings for you. I’m sure she’ll be elated when I tell her that things have obviously changed.”

“Are you going to tell her we’re sex addicts?” Villanelle wiggles her eyebrows, brushing her palms up and down Eve’s back and sending tremors through her body all over again.

“I don’t think she’d expect anything less, to be honest.”

“Did you think I wasn’t going to come back?”

“No, I knew you would, eventually. Waiting was the hardest part. I didn’t want to text or call you after Friday because I wanted you to just go and do what you needed to do.”

“But you were worried.”

“Yes.”

“I thought about you when Nadia and I went out and pretended to do things as a couple. I want to take you to the Saatchi Gallery and the open air shopping area nearby.”

“I would love that. How do you feel about PDA?”

“Pee dee a?”

“Public displays of affection. Like holding hands or kissing in public?”

“I always love an audience.” Villanelle smirks and Eve laughs, “You know what I mean.”

“I would like that especially since we’re official now. Will your colleagues be alright if I visited you at work again? They always act strangely whenever I show up.”

“Oh, yeah. Now that they know we’re together. They might worry you’ll grab a pen from the desk and kill them with it but other than that, they’ll be fine.”

Villanelle’s stomach grumbles and she looks down. “I’m starving. We might actually have to get out of bed and do something.”

“You want to get some food? Order in or take out?”

“Let’s go to that Indian restaurant around the corner. I want to enjoy dinner with my hot date.”

Eve kisses Villanelle and slips out of the bed. “I’m going to shower then.”

“I’ll join. I need to shower too. What? I’m a conservationist. Save water, shower together, am I right??” Eve rolls her eyes and tries not to laugh at the incredulous expression on Villanelle’s face as she follows her into the bathroom.

Two hours later, 7:30PM

Eve and Villanelle are seated outside the Indian restaurant at a corner table and given time to look over the menus. Villanelle’s leg is shaking with nervousness which is stupid because she’s just had the best sex of her life and is pretty sure she’s just given Eve the same and yet she can’t seem to drag her eyes from the menu to return Eve’s gaze. Eve clears her throat just as the waitress reappears to take their orders.

“I’ll have the tikka masala with rice and can you also bring some naans and an order of your vegetarian curry, spicy?” Villanelle rattles off.

“Sure. And for you?”

“Can I have an order of the bindhi with rice?”

“Spicy or not?”

“Spicy.”

“Great. I can take those menus. Anything to drink besides water?”

“Two mango lassis please,” Villanelle replies quickly.

“Coming right up!”

Eve clears her throat the second the waitress disappears.

“Hey…is everything okay?”

Villanelle nods even though she feels like she is going to throw up. She closes her eyes. Maybe the exhaustion is settling in from the last few days and today’s sex marathon. Or is she nervous and worried about Nadia’s assignment? Does she still love Nadia? This is getting ridiculous, Villanelle thinks, trying to swallow down her anxiety.

“Baby.” This time Eve’s voice is stern and Villanelle pulls her eyes open and returns her intense stare.

“I’ve never been on a date like this before,” Villanelle proclaims quietly, her skin flushing with embarrassment.

“Okay.”

“That’s it?”

“I’ve never been skydiving before.” At this confession, Villanelle perks up. “Would you like to go sometime?”

“With you, yes. And you just proved my point,” Eve smiles, picking up her fork and jabbing it innocently towards Villanelle.

“What?”

“You are the only person I know who would want to do something like that with me, no questions asked, no hesitancy in your response. You’re courageous, you enjoy taking risks, you’ve challenged me to enjoy each moment and not be so serious. I don’t care if you’ve never been on a traditional date before. We can plan our own nontraditional dates and find out what we’re both comfortable with or not. How does that sound?”

“I like that.”

The waitress returns and leaves the two mango lassis on the table. Both Eve and Villanelle reply with a resounding yes when she asks if everything is okay. She smiles at them and turns around to see to some other customers.

“This is so good,” Eve mumbles, swallowing down a mouthful of the smooth mango drink. Villanelle watches her throat as she takes additional sips and nods approvingly.

“I knew you would like it.”

“I think you know me better than anybody else in my life.”

“How does that make you feel?”

“Scared. Excited. Vulnerable. Bold. It’s a mixture of contradictions.”

“Life is a contradiction. We’re born to people who are expected to love us but then they end up doing the complete opposite so we seek them out in everybody we meet and we resent those people for not loving us the way we should have been loved.” Villanelle’s voice is rough and Eve puts down her glass, trying to hold onto her gaze and wondering where the sudden need to share came from.

“You never told me what happened when you returned to Russia…do you want to talk about it?”

“Maybe some other time,” Villanelle replies, downing her drink in a matter of seconds. She eagerly welcomes the arrival of the food and starts shoveling pieces of naan and curry into her mouth, motioning for Eve to try her dishes. 

“I didn’t realize how hungry I was,” Eve laughs, forty minutes later as the waitress clears their table.

“You burned a lot of calories today.”

“Thanks to you.”

“I can’t take all the credit. I didn’t know how flexible you were. Especially in that shower of yours.”

Eve blushes. “Are you ready to go?”

“Why, are you ready for another workout session?” Villanelle quirks an eyebrow and stands up. “I’m going to pay and then we’ll leave, okay?” 

Eve feels the current of electricity running between them and can tell Villanelle wants to kiss her as she moves by her chair to head towards the counter. Villanelle starts to walk away but Eve shouts out, calling her back to the table. 

“You forgot something.”

“What?”

“This.” Eve kisses Villanelle. She is initially startled by the very public display of affection but soon melts into the kiss, wrapping her arms around Eve’s waist.

“Wow, that was…unexpected.”

“Thank you for dinner. I’ll just go and wait on the corner, okay?”

Villanelle nods and almost skips to the counter where she spots their waitress smiling at her. “Successful first date?” the waitress jokes.

“You can say that,” Villanelle grins, handing a credit card to her.

“She’s hot,” the waitress says.

“And I’m lucky.”

“You’re perfect for each other. I wanted to say something earlier but I didn’t want to disrupt the date. You feel great together. I hope that doesn’t sound weird or anything. I pick up on people’s energies and the energy between you two is incredibly intoxicating.”

“No, it doesn’t sound weird. Thanks for saying that.” Villanelle takes her card back and signs the receipt before handing the waitress a generous tip. “And thanks for the wonderful meal.”

“What was that about?,” Eve asks, cocking her head towards the counter when Villanelle slips outside, a smile plastered on her face.

“Oh, our waitress thinks we’re really hot together.”

“What??” Eve laughs, burrowing her head against Villanelle’s chest as the two stand on the pavement and hug each other.

“Yeah. She said our energy was intoxicating.”

“Sounds like she wants a threesome.”

“What? Eve! So scandalous. I think I can get used to a horny girlfriend.” Villanelle and Eve start to walk with Villanelle’s arm around Eve’s neck and Eve’s arm around Villanelle’s waist.

“Oh stop being dramatic,” Eve chides but can’t hide the affection in her voice as she looks up at Villanelle.

“You like my personality. Better yet, you love it,” Villanelle replies, turning her head to return Eve’s joyful expression. 

“Just lean down so I can kiss you, you dork.”

“I like kissing you outdoors.”

“You don’t feel nervous anymore?”

“No. Come on, let’s walk by that dessert place and get ice cream and then we can go back to your place and have a different kind of dessert.”

“Oh my god, did you just—? Wow. Now all I’m going to think about when eating ice cream is…”

“My mouth? My boobs? My…”

Eve kisses Villanelle before she can finish her sentence. “Baby, if you keep mentioning your body parts and turning me on, I’m going to start stripping right here so we can just get it on.”

“You wouldn’t.” Villanelle’s eyes are wide and her gaze is moving up and down Eve’s body like she’s envisioning her naked already.

“Watch me.” Eve removes her light parka and then moves the spaghetti strap from one of her shoulders. Villanelle pulls her close and hurriedly moves it back. 

“You made your point. Let’s go home after I buy some supplies from this grocery store here.” Villanelle pops into the store to buy a toothbrush, orange juice, apple sauce, soy milk, agave syrup, and flour so she can make Eve pancakes for breakfast in the morning.

When she walks back outside, Eve is on the phone finishing up a call with Elena. When she hangs up, she’s smiling.

“She says hi,” Eve offers.

“You told her we’re together, didn’t you?”

“I couldn’t help it. Plus she knew from the second I said hi. How do people know this stuff?”

“Know what, that you had sex all day long?” Villanelle laughs, refusing to let Eve carry the bag of groceries.

“Yeah.”

“She could hear it in your voice. You sound happy. I don’t think I’ve ever heard you sound this way before.”

“I am happy.”


	4. "Sex On Fire"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dark Eve fully emerges when her jealousy over Nadia boils over after Villanelle and Nadia talk over the phone about the completion of her assignment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title taken from the classic Kings of Leon song covered by Beyoncé. Music video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjQnpJVdv-8
> 
> This the final chapter in this work. Thanks for reading and leaving feedback.

Tuesday

Villanelle wakes up at six o’ clock and tries to slip out of bed quietly so Eve can continue sleeping. Eve stirs lightly, her hand reaching for Villanelle. “Morning, sleepyhead. I’m going to make you breakfast, okay?” Villanelle kisses the top of Eve’s head and retrieves her phone from the nightstand, heading into the kitchen to put on the coffee machine. 

She opens up her WhatsApp messages and reads one sent by Konstantin a few minutes earlier. 

K: Headed to the building to wait for N. Will contact you in a few hours with an update.

V: Okay. Call me if you need to. Tnx.

Villanelle then messages Nadia on the burner phone. 

V: Everything okay?

N: Yes. I will text you when it is done. 

V: Konstantin is going to be outside the building when you are done. If you need help, just shoot out one of the windows. 

N: Okay, boss.

V: Ha, ha.

N: I hope you found your girlfriend. Contact you later.

V: Good luck.

Villanelle sets her phone down and goes into the bathroom to brush her teeth and shower. When she walks out, wrapped only in a towel, she almost runs into Eve whose hair is big and messy and a very sexy reminder from the night before. 

“You should sleep some more. You were very active last night,” Villanelle murmurs, kissing Eve on the lips. She thinks it’s weird how natural this feels, like they’ve been doing this for the last few years instead of chasing each other around and stabbing and shooting one another. The thought makes her grin: two beautiful, idiotic monsters.

“Mmm, good morning to you too. I’m going to brush my teeth and shower. I feel very underdressed right now.” 

“And I’m wearing a towel?”

“You don’t need to change. Keep it on.” Eve chuckles and walks into the bathroom and closes the door behind her, humming a song Villanelle doesn’t recognize. Villanelle hears the shower running while she takes out the groceries from the night before and begins to make the pancake batter. She decides to play music from her phone and chooses Beyoncé’s cover of “Sex On Fire” since that was the only song she could think about last night, still in awe that after all this time of thinking about Eve and being with her, it finally happened.

One hour later, Villanelle is sitting on the couch with Eve’s legs draped over her own. 

“That was a really good breakfast, V. Thank you for making it.”

“I like making you things.”

“I’m not surprised. And you’re good at it. Are you sure the coffee you made came from my coffee maker? Because my coffee has never tasted that good before.”

“I added some cardamom to the coffee beans and I added soy milk when it was done instead of the half and half in your fridge.”

“That’s probably why it tasted like a store-bought latte.”

“We can get a latte later, when we go out.”

“No, I don’t need one, I’m just saying your coffee tasted really, really good.”

“You know what else tastes really, really good?” Villanelle shifts her body and kisses Eve. “You taste like pancakes.”

“So do you.”

Villanelle’s phone buzzes and she grabs it from the coffee table. “One second,” she says to Eve.

K: On the way to the airport. Thumbs up.

Villanelle shakes her head, making a mental note to tell Irina to show Konstantin how to incorporate emojis into his messages. She dials him and starts to speak to him quickly in Russian. Konstantin tells her everything went smoothly except Nadia had to also kill the two security guards positioned outside the meeting room. Villanelle switches to English when Nadia takes the phone.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes.” Nadia sounds breathless and she is.

“Konstantin called someone to take care of the…room.”

“Was the room rearrangement expected?”

“Hardly. She was interested in getting information from me about you so I was more than available to share.” Nadia laughs dryly. “Are you sure she wasn’t in love with you?”

“Thank god we never have to find out. I was getting tired of her games.”

“You deserve to get out, Oksana. You have a whole life to build. With your girlfriend.”

“You were right, you know,” Villanelle grins.

“You asked her?”

“Yeah. She’s sitting next to me right now.”

“Konstantin is telling me to hang up.”

“Bye Nadia. Good job.”

“Until next time…I’ll let your family know you’re okay.”

“Tell my brothers to come visit me soon. We’re going house-hunting.”

“What was that joke about a U-Haul and…”

The phone goes dead and Villanelle sets it down on the table, a shuddering laugh escaping her lips.

“Nadia was successful?,” Eve asks, eyebrows raised.

“Yes.”

“So you don’t need to worry about H—“

“No.”

“Wow.”

“Yeah…”

“How do you feel?”

“Relieved. Worried about who will replace her. Grateful that Nadia took care of her.”

“So…she must be a really good assassin, huh, if she can take out such a dangerous person?”

Villanelle looks at Eve and notices how she tries to maintain a composed look. She also notices the insecurity in her pupils and the slight quiver in her voice. Suddenly Villanelle feels like all the air has been sucked out of the apartment.

“She’s one of the best. I told you that yesterday, remember?”

“Yeah and you also mentioned she’s your ex.”

“We only went out for a few months.”

“Wouldn’t that be considered dating?”

“No, not in the traditional sense. Our version of going out was connecting up to complete assignments and then…”

“…having mind-blowing sex after?”

“Eve!”

“What? I’m just stating an obvious fact.” Eve’s voice cuts straight through the air like a shark fin through water.

“I was never in love with her the way I am with you.”

“How do I know that though?”

“Because I’m telling you.”

“You looked really close in those pictures.”

“We had to put on a convincing act, I told you it was part of the plan. You were okay when I talked to you yesterday…”

“I thought I was okay, too, but what was the phone call about? I mean, are you just close friends now then?”

“Yes? You held onto Niko after your divorce and I didn’t hold that relationship over your head.”

“You killed Gemma and you shot me and left me for dead! I’m beginning to see a pattern here!” Eve launches herself off the couch and walks into the kitchen, muttering under her breath in Korean and slamming her coffee mug on the counter a lot harder than she meant to.

“You see me as a psychopath,” Villanelle says coolly, no emotion in her voice, as she stands up and turns her back towards Eve. She clenches her fists and stares out the window. “Congratulations, you just fucked a psychopath. Check that box off of your list. Maybe it’s time to move onto serial killers next.”

“I didn’t say that.”

“You didn’t need to. You analyze. It’s part of your job. So you try and figure me out like I am a puzzle that needs to be put together. You label me as some kind of repeat offender who performs certain behaviors because I am always just going to be seen as a killing machine. So you might as well call me that. Or a sex addict, if that’s what you’re thinking now as well.”

“Oksana…” Eve’s voice trembles. “I am sorry. I blew up at you. I scared you. My emotions are all over the place.”

Villanelle doesn’t turn but she does leans backwards when Eve slips her arms around her and hugs her from behind.

“Can we just lie down in my bed and talk? Please?”

It’s the please that gets to Villanelle, the soft plea that makes her heart crack wide open. She turns and lets Eve take her by the hand and into her bed. They lie down and face each other. Villanelle tries to blink away the tears pooling in her eyes but they fall despite her efforts. Eve brushes them away with the pads of her thumbs.

“I’m really sorry for blowing up at you just now. I take full responsibility and feel angry at myself for upsetting you. I do not think you are a psychopath or a killing machine. I just feel so much for you and it hurts.”

“It hurts for you to be with me?”

“No, I’m not saying that. I’m saying I’ve never been this vulnerable with someone before and it’s beautiful and amazing but I also feel very exposed and open. And when I saw you talking to an ex who you have a history with, I felt like I should close myself up again.”

“Why?”

“Nadia represents a part of you I’ll never be able to replicate. That thrilling, unknown, sexy part. You’ve worked on assignments together. You respect her abilities. You trained together. She knows your brothers. How can I compare to that?”

“I’m not asking you to. You are thrilling, unknown, and sexy to me. I want you to meet my brothers and you will, when they visit us here, and they will love you. Nobody can compare to you.”

“You won’t get bored?”

“We could lie in bed all day and talk and not do anything else and I wouldn’t be bored.”

“Ha. You say that now but wait another few years…”

“Don’t do that.”

“Do what?”

“Be self-deprecating. I love everything about you. You are the most interesting thing about me.”

“You said the opposite when we worked on the Peel case.”

“I know. I was trying to push your buttons to find out if you cared about me the way I cared about you. I shouldn’t have done that. I’m sorry.”

“Thank you. And it’s okay. You helped me let myself go during that trip. Hugo wasn’t too pleased.”

Villanelle’s eyes widen. “So you did have sex with him that night!”

“I couldn’t fuck myself with Hugo lying in the bed.”

“Wowww. Now I know why he hates me so much.”

Eve laughs and cups Villanelle’s face in her hands and leans forward so their foreheads are touching.

“I’m really sorry, baby,” Eve whispers, moving her hands from Villanelle’s face so she can reach beneath her t-shirt. Villanelle gasps when Eve traces the undersides of her breasts with her thumbs.

“Show me,” Villanelle sputters out, head falling back against the pillow, eyes already half-closing from pleasure. Eve locks her legs around Villanelle’s waist and flips her onto her back, removing her t-shirt and pulling down her shorts. She quickly removes her t-shirt and sweatpants and slips one leg between Villanelle’s thighs before kissing her on the mouth, throat, collarbone. Villanelle bucks her hips and Eve lets her ride her thigh, moving her own hips so their movements are synchronized. She can feel Villanelle’s slickness against her skin and this just makes her more frenzied with her kisses. She latches onto her nipples and circles them with her tongue before sucking slowly. Villanelle’s moans pulse against her eardrums and she can feel tightness in the pit of her stomach, waiting to be released. Eve moves one hand down and circles Villanelle’s clit with her thumb before inserting her middle finger between her legs and pulling it in and out slowly at first and then quickly. Villanelle gasps, her eyes flying open and Eve readjusts her body.

“Look at me,” Eve says when Villanelle’s eyes start to close again. Villanelle hoists herself up on her elbows and captures Eve’s bruised lips in a slow and heavy kiss. “I never stopped,” she whispers, her elbows buckling and her hips thrusting upwards. Eve slows down her movements and moves her lips down Villanelle’s throat as her back arches off the bed. When Villanelle’s back hits the bed, Eve removes her fingers and presses soft kisses against Villanelle’s neck before rolling off of her and lying down next to her, breathless.

“Can we apologize like that all the time?” Villanelle mumbles a few minutes later, removing her arm from her eyes and slipping it beneath Eve’s neck.

Eve laughs and leans her entire body into Villanelle’s. “I don’t see why not.”

“You’re a fast learner.”

“I learned a lot last night and I’ve been doing some…uh…research… since Rome.”

Villanelle’s eyes widen and her mouth opens to ask.

“No, nothing with anyone else, obviously,” Eve quickly cuts her off. “Just looking at videos.”

“Do you masturbate about me a lot?,” Villanelle teases, bringing Eve’s mind back to her apartment in Paris.

Eve blushes.

“You don’t have to be embarrassed. I told you I did.”

“Did you still, you know, after I stabbed you?”

“Yes.”

“Really???”

“Why are you so shocked?”

“I just thought you would have been disgusted with me for betraying you.”

“You masturbated about me after I shot you, didn’t you?”

“Yes.”

“Well?”

“Good point.”

“We’re the same.”

“Two very idiotic monsters but at least we’re beautiful,” Eve laughs. “Shall we eat lunch now?”

“Aren’t you tired?,” Villanelle teases, pretending to move towards Eve’s thighs.

“Oh my god. Who taught you these dad jokes?”

“Dad jokes?”

“Oh, it’s a term. I’ll explain it to you over some more pancakes…”

Villanelle’s eyes gleam and she waits expectantly for Eve to mention another word beginning with p and ending with y. When she doesn’t, Villanelle bends down and whispers the word into Eve’s ear, feeling her skin heat up below her palm.

“About that Uber Delivery…” Eve mumbles and meets Villanelle’s lips with her own.


End file.
